West Wollongong vs Figtree

West Wollongong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 40 in Figtree. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Figtree, most households are couple families. On these figures, West Wollongong tends to suit people living alone and share households, while Figtree suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Figtree

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (82% vs 63%)
  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 56/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

West Wollongong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($561,000 vs $630,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

West Wollongong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($370/wk vs $430/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

West Wollongong

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (62/100 vs 48/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (78 min vs 83 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (84.1 km vs 87.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • West Wollongong has more units and townhouses to downsize into (37% vs 18%)
  • Figtree has more GPs (3 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

West Wollongong and Figtree drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

West Wollongong Figtree
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

West Wollongong Figtree
Walkability 62 / 48
West Wollongong — Walkability: 62/100 Figtree — Walkability: 48/100
Safety 44 / 57
West Wollongong — Safety: 44/100 Figtree — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 100 / 36
West Wollongong — Low fire risk: 100/100 Figtree — Low fire risk: 36/100

Demographics

Figtree has more residents (12,335 vs 5,223); Figtree has higher household incomes ($106,184 vs $86,944).

West Wollongong Figtree
Population 5,223 12,335
+136% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.2% +6.7%
Median age 35 40
Median household income $86,944/yr $106,184/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $370/wk $430/wk
+16% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Wollongong Figtree
0-4 6.0% / 5.9%
West Wollongong — 0-4: 6.0% Figtree — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 12.3% / 13.8%
West Wollongong — 5-14: 12.3% Figtree — 5-14: 13.8%
15-19 6.8% / 7.1%
West Wollongong — 15-19: 6.8% Figtree — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 10.9% / 6.3%
West Wollongong — 20-24: 10.9% Figtree — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 13.6% / 10.2%
West Wollongong — 25-34: 13.6% Figtree — 25-34: 10.2%
35-44 14.0% / 13.2%
West Wollongong — 35-44: 14.0% Figtree — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 12.3% / 13.7%
West Wollongong — 45-54: 12.3% Figtree — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 10.2% / 10.9%
West Wollongong — 55-64: 10.2% Figtree — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 7.1% / 9.7%
West Wollongong — 65-74: 7.1% Figtree — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 4.6% / 6.6%
West Wollongong — 75-84: 4.6% Figtree — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 2.3% / 2.6%
West Wollongong — 85+: 2.3% Figtree — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Wollongong 39.5% couple families
West Wollongong — Couple Families: 39.5% West Wollongong — Lone Person: 35.0% West Wollongong — One Parent Families: 14.1% West Wollongong — Group Household: 10.0% West Wollongong — Other Families: 1.4%
Figtree 55.0% couple families
Figtree — Couple Families: 55.0% Figtree — Lone Person: 26.7% Figtree — One Parent Families: 13.7% Figtree — Group Household: 3.4% Figtree — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

West Wollongong 37.0% renting
West Wollongong — Owned Outright: 31.0% West Wollongong — Mortgage: 31.9% West Wollongong — Renting: 37.0%
Figtree 17.9% renting
Figtree — Owned Outright: 41.7% Figtree — Mortgage: 40.5% Figtree — Renting: 17.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

West Wollongong Figtree
Bachelor Degree 16.0% / 14.6%
West Wollongong — Bachelor Degree: 16.0% Figtree — Bachelor Degree: 14.6%
Certificate III & IV 13.5% / 15.1%
West Wollongong — Certificate III & IV: 13.5% Figtree — Certificate III & IV: 15.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 8.5%
West Wollongong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Figtree — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 6.7% / 5.7%
West Wollongong — Postgraduate Degree: 6.7% Figtree — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.2%
West Wollongong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Figtree — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

West Wollongong Figtree
England 2.5% / 3.3%
West Wollongong — England: 2.5% Figtree — England: 3.3%
India 1.6% / 1.3%
West Wollongong — India: 1.6% Figtree — India: 1.3%
China 1.3% / 1.6%
West Wollongong — China: 1.3% Figtree — China: 1.6%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.0%
West Wollongong — New Zealand: 1.4% Figtree — New Zealand: 1.0%
Italy 0.7% / 1.1%
West Wollongong — Italy: 0.7% Figtree — Italy: 1.1%
Thailand 0.8% / —
West Wollongong — Thailand: 0.8% Figtree — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West Wollongong 63.0% houses
West Wollongong — Houses: 63.0% West Wollongong — Flats / Apartments: 20.0% West Wollongong — Townhouses: 17.0%
Figtree 82.4% houses
Figtree — Houses: 82.4% Figtree — Flats / Apartments: 7.9% Figtree — Townhouses: 9.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

West Wollongong Figtree
Median house price $1,132,500 $1,180,000
Median unit price $561,000 $630,000
Median land price — $1,300,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 30 sales
 24 days
from 116 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

West Wollongong Figtree
3 bed $1.07M / $1.1M
West Wollongong — 3 bed: $1.07M (37 sales) Figtree — 3 bed: $1.1M (83 sales)

37 vs 83 sales

4 bed $1.2M / $1.29M
West Wollongong — 4 bed: $1.2M (27 sales) Figtree — 4 bed: $1.29M (89 sales)

27 vs 89 sales

Zoning mix

Figtree has more land zoned for conservation (28% vs 2%).

West Wollongong Figtree
Residential 81% 50%
Environmental 2% 28%
Parks and recreation 9% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 4%
Rural and farming 0% 7%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

West Wollongong Figtree
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

West Wollongong Figtree
Houses 3.3%
$750/wk on $1.19M
 3.5%
$800/wk on $1.19M
Units — 4.7%
$470/wk on $519K

Ranking within NSW

West Wollongong Figtree
House price Higher than 59% of NSW
same for both
Income — Higher than 72% of NSW
Schools Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 59% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 53% of NSW

Liveability

West Wollongong is more walkable (62 vs 48).

West Wollongong Figtree
Grade B
same for both
Score 50/100 51/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Figtree carries more bushfire risk (64 vs 0); West Wollongong carries more crime risk (56 vs 43).

West Wollongong Figtree
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
64/100
Crime Moderate
56/100
 Moderate
43/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

West Wollongong Figtree
Inside the suburb 5 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 5 2
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 2.4 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 4.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.1% 3.0%

Schools in West Wollongong

  • Edmund Rice College Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Lindsay Park Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Therese Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • The Illawarra Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Wollongong West Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Figtree

  • Figtree Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Figtree High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Nareena Hills Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Figtree Heights Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

West Wollongong Figtree
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 6
Parks & reserves 7 5
Childcare 6
same for both
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 3 1
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 14

Mobility

Figtree sits further from the CBD (87.8 km vs 84.1 km).

West Wollongong Figtree
Walkability score 62/100 48/100
Distance to Sydney 84.1 km 87.8 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 78 min 83 min
Public transport score 77/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 194.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 220.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 2500
 1.6%
postcode 2525
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 14
postcode 2500
 41
postcode 2525

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

West Wollongong Figtree
Car (driver) 56.8% / 58.8%
West Wollongong — Car (driver): 56.8% Figtree — Car (driver): 58.8%
Worked from Home 33.9% / 34.1%
West Wollongong — Worked from Home: 33.9% Figtree — Worked from Home: 34.1%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 4.3%
West Wollongong — Car (passenger): 4.2% Figtree — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only 1.9% / 1.2%
West Wollongong — Walked Only: 1.9% Figtree — Walked Only: 1.2%
Bus 1.7% / 0.6%
West Wollongong — Bus: 1.7% Figtree — Bus: 0.6%
Train 0.7% / 0.7%
West Wollongong — Train: 0.7% Figtree — Train: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.8%).

Setting

West Wollongong Figtree
Elevation 49 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 68 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.3 km
3.4 km to a named beach
 4.6 km
4.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

West Wollongong Figtree
Connectivity score 98/100 74/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 96%
2,309 premises
 52%
5,004 premises

Climate

West Wollongong Figtree
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

West Wollongong Figtree
PM2.5 6.2 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.66 pphm
same for both

Council rates

West Wollongong Figtree
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

West Wollongong Figtree
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

West Wollongong Figtree
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

West Wollongong

Parks

Figtree

Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Wollongong

West Wollongong vs Wollongong West Wollongong vs Keiraville West Wollongong vs Gwynneville West Wollongong vs Mangerton West Wollongong vs Mount Keira

Other comparisons with Figtree

Figtree vs Unanderra Figtree vs Cordeaux Heights Figtree vs Mangerton Figtree vs Mount Keira Figtree vs Mount Saint Thomas Figtree vs Mount Kembla
Full data on West Wollongong Full data on Figtree
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or